Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the UREKA Forum?

The UREKA Forum is UnionBank’s way of affirming its commitment to empower Filipinos to succeed. As a platform for economic empowerment, the UREKA Forum puts together a community of experts and organizations that rally behind every Filipino’s capability to multiply growth ten-fold through entrepreneurship that knows no boundaries

The UREKA Forum convenes leading businesses, institutions, and industry experts to provide a dynamic platform where local entrepreneurs can realize the potential of their businesses in the online world.

For its second leg in Iloilo last February 2016, the UREKA Forum invited notable keynote speakers, including Mr. Diosdado Banatao, the managing partner of Tallwood Venture Capital; Ms. Aisa Mijeno, the engineer-turned-entrepreneur that invented the saltwater-powered sustainable featured during the recent APEC CEO Summit; UnionBank President Edwin Bautista; and Mart Louis Fernando, to speak about the growing importance of technology and e-commerce in making local businesses grow to become global enterprises.

Likewise, the following industry experts were invited to impart their knowledge regarding the topic of e-Commerce: Josefino Paloma, the SVP and General Manager of the Solutions Group in AMTI; Gloria Estabaya, the Vice President for Customer Service and Operations Support of Air21; Sheila Lina, the President of Shopinas; Robertson Chiang, the COO/CTO of DragonPay; and Francis Oliva, Head of Community Partnership Community Engagement and Marketing Communications of the PLDT Smart SME Nation.

The UREKA Forum seeks to promote local entrepreneurship while improving the growth potential of local businesses. This initiative is guided by three main pillars: a thought leadership component,; a business development component, featuring a workshop called the “e-Commerce Circuit,” where entrepreneurs will be guided via a 10-step procedure that ends with them launching their own business websites on the same day; and an enterprise partnership component, where SMEs can grow their network and collaborate with a community of businesses to modernize their business strategies.

2

Who can join the UREKA Forum? How can I sign up to be a part of this activity?

The UREKA Forum is open to all registered small to medium enterprises (SMEs) coming from different industries-retail, hospitality, manufacturing, arts and crafts, food, services, and many more—who look at e-Commerce as a necessary platform to grow and expand their businesses.

Through the insights shared by our consortium partners and industry experts participating in the conference, UREKA Forum intends to harness the inherent capability of local entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and harness their strategic and critical thinking skills to create a bigger impact on the lives of more Filipinos.

3

What do I get from signing up at the UREKA Forum?

Unlike other information-education platforms being championed by other institutions, the UREKA Forum goes beyond just equipping local businesses with the know-how about e-Commerce. As mentioned earlier, the UREKA Forum is a multi-faceted project that starts as a forum and ends as an innovative and inclusive online business development platform that seeks to promote local entrepreneurship while improving the growth potential of local businesses.

The moment an entrepreneur decides to join the UREKA Forum, they are not only signing up to enrich their knowledge about the intricacies of online business; they are also elevating their business model in a way that is fitting for our digitized society.

4

How do I qualify for a free e-Commerce site at the UREKA Forum?

The UREKA Mindanao Forum in Davao is now welcoming registrants! Click here for details on how to register for the forum and the e-Commerce Circuit, respectively.

5

Who are the consortium partners participating in the forum?

Since UnionBank is spearheading this initiative, the principal personality representing the company will automatically be the head of the UREKA Forum. UnionBank will also fulfill the role as the enabler of innovations by providing the payment gateway for the e-Commerce businesses via the Eon Visa Debit Card.

As UnionBank intends to conduct a UREKA Forum road show in various cities and provinces nationwide, the local government partners will also become honorary stakeholders. Other members of the consortium include: Department of Trade and Industry, Shopinas.com, Air 21, Panahon TV, AMTI, PLDT SME Nation, GeiserMaclang Marketing and Communications Inc., DragonPay and Esquire Financing Inc.

6

Why is the consortium staging the UREKA Forum?

As the rest of the world continues to immerse itself into the digital era, the Philippines isn’t far off with its own citizens getting absorbed into the fray, mostly through their varied use of the Internet.

An excellent example of the country’s foray into the digitized world is the growing number of small to medium business owners who wish to conduct transactions online. The accessibility granted by the Internet allows these entrepreneurs to reach customers that might not have been aware of them in the first place.

We understand that there are still Filipinos struggling to adapt to the digitized age, which is why we have decided to engage local businesses via a dynamic information-education initiative, that is the UREKA Forum. We have carefully planned out this project in order to include business roundtables with key experts, interactive forums, and even a workshop wherein entrepreneurs can learn the best action plan for their respective businesses. These events are not only aimed at introducing entrepreneurs to e-Commerce, but also to creatively collaborate and partner with other institutions.

7

How does this consortium intend to create an impact?

The UREKA Forum was created based on our belief in the importance of local SMEs to the country’s overall economic growth and development. While it might not seem like it, these small businesses contribute a great deal into the Philippines’ market, both on the national and international levels. With most of their products made from locally sourced materials, they are inadvertently helping out so many of the different business industries.

The UREKA Forum forms part of UnionBank’s commitment to make a difference in today’s local business sector. In its efforts to promote the idea of “inclusive innovation,” UnionBank reaches out to small and medium enterprises all over the country to help them enjoy equal financial growth opportunities.

By engaging industry leaders and innovation partners, UnionBank is empowering local businesses to improve their capabilities and create a bigger impact, socially and economically speaking. By providing an avenue where businesses can learn, interact, and expand their networks, the UREKA Forum intends to make every Filipino business an agent of sustainable development.